sweetwater music hallas described by the client

The big design challenge was to create a new club that would also embody the heart-and-soul connection so many people HAD FELT TO THE OLD SWEETWATER—locals as well as famous rock and roll musicians from everywhere.

When the old Sweetwater closed after almost 40 years, Mill Valley lost what I considered to be its soul. It was a passion of ours to help get it open again. Stone Interiors built beautifully on the idea of making the new club feel like ‘If you were a rich hippie in the ’70s, this is what your home could be like.’ Stacy describes her process as ‘undoing’ it—removing plaster, exposing brick, cutting around the ornate ceiling molding to expose the rafters (which also added a great surface for sound).

The chandeliers, the woodwork, the old floor—and the sound! We didn’t want the music or the light to seep out into the quiet canyon community. Stacy put shutters over the windows behind the bar, and designed ‘old velvet draperies’ that absorb the sound and really pull the whole place together. Did I mention I think it’s the greatest—and most comfortable—rock and roll club on the planet?